In Which We Celebrate the Anniversary of Pearl Harbor, or something like that

December 7^th-9^th: Monday-Wednesday

Almost the entire western end of the big house is getting repainted. The big room, Jim’s old room, and the hallway and pantry. Lynn and I have been given, no privileged with the job of doing all this painting. Monday we trimmed Jim’s old room which will now be a guest house and gave it a first coat. The color we are using is a Sage Green and has the amazing ability to look either gray or brown under almost any lighting condition.

Over the next two days we steadily worked our way around the big room and it’s a joining section. By the end of Wednesday we had put at least one coat on everything. The end was in sight. I really like Lynn. He is a cool old guy. He cracks me up.

So Monday was Pearl Harbor Day. Also it was the day of my birth, 19 years ago. That night for dinner the Tricarico’s invited me over for Indian food, Tika Masala Paneer and Nan. It was incredible. Thank you Laurie and Maria. Then around 7 everyone else on the mission came over for cake. Thanks Kris. James and Maria made me a really cool card full of excellent illustrations of adventures I/We have had. Emily sent a cool birthday card with a recipe for Man-erole (Man Casserole). It included ingredients such as 6 beers, 2 bags of pretzels, 64 slices of American cheese, I cup of hot sauce, 3 ib. of beef jerky, 3 bottles of BBQ sauce,10 large potatoes, 7 glazed donuts, and a can of motor oil. Instructions called for a wheel barrow, a weed whacker and a spray gun. The Eldeens gave me two brand new razors and Jenny gave me a very strange cup with several cartoon kids with ------------- on it and the words Happiness Trip and Sweet Family on it along with this message inside a heart: I want JJU: everywhere ♦and if JJU:’s ∆ beside me I know • I need never care. Now I have no idea who or what JJU is or why there are all those symbols in the message but I feel like it is from the heart.

So after work Wednesday I hitched up my trousers, rolled up my sleeves and commenced to give the house a thorough cleaning. I swept out the fossilized remains of crumbs and dirt from the floors. I mountain of dirty dishes by the sink, I scrubbed the counters, I pulverized the dust bunnies, I man-handled the dried on spills on the stove. I Was Lancelot of the Kitchen. The sponge, Excalibur. Victory was mine. Actually the sad part was the general cleanliness of the house was a couple notches below where Jim left it but it was so much better than where it had been several hours previously that it seemed much cleaner.

Wednesday we had a community meal to welcome back Jim and welcome Ben Smith. I was recruited to make dessert and Laurie asked me to make those Peanut Butter Chocolate cookies I made a couple weeks ago so I got of work around four and went home to start baking. My computer is going to the dogs. The battery cannot last for longer than about 40 minutes now so I just took out the battery and keep it plugged in when I use it because I think that uses less power than charging the battery every 40 minutes. It really ruins the mobility of the laptop though.

The Wrights and company arrived back shortly after six. It was good to see Jimbo again. I think he’s gotten taller. He brought back copious amounts of everything. It will take him days to unpack. That night we had pesto pasta stuff which was delicious. Maria found a bunch of old videos that James had taken of himself and then somehow failed to delete so we watched them after dinner.

That night Jim and I stayed up late and talked. It is really good to have him back. That night we prayed before we went to bed. I forgot how much I like doing that. Also Jim bought me the set of Bourne movies for my b-day. Cool beans.

Sunrise, Chicken Dinner, Road Trip, T-shirts, Cigar, Psychotic Hunters, Big Game, Football in the Sun

December 1^st-6^th:Tuesday-Sunday

Tuesday morning the Wright girls, Rachel, Anna, and Mary, Hannah and I embarked from the compound under a full moon. The girls had wanted to climb the hill behind the clinic in order to watch the sun rise and I was asked to go because they needed a guy escort. As we left their house at 5:00 we discovered that t heir gate was locked so we moved down to the Okken’s compound were we hopped the gate. With the full moon we didn’t need lights. The hill behind the clinic is a couple hundred feet. We positioned ourselves on an outward spur of rock and waited for the sun. Because the sun rose behind Mt. Kadam it was light well before we first glimpsed the sun. Africa is beautiful.

That Thursday I had JB, his friend from Namalu whose name is like Octavias or something of the like, and Moses over for dinner. I had had JB buy a chicken and sweet potatoes in Namalu that day. JB and I took the cock out back along with a knife. JB plucked some of the feathers off its neck and then held its body down with one hand and its head up with the other. Then I beheaded it with a few short strokes of the knife. While JB held down the still moving body I went inside and got some boiling water so JB could pluck it. We gave the head and feet to the dogs who seemed over joyed.

After plucking it JB butchered it. At first he kept out heart, lungs, and spleen and stuff. I asked him what they were and Moses interjects that he didn’t think we ate that so JB saved only one unidentifiable organ and threw the rest to the dogs. Then we peeled and sliced all the sweet potatoes, the must have bought like a kilo of the stuff. I mixed up a flour based seasoning to put on the chicken and then we began frying. Shortly we were eating a delicious chicken dinner. There is nothing quite like eating an animal you killed yourself.

Friday the entire mission was invited to a Christmas party at the Proctors’ in Mbale. Also that night though Simon, one of the local Karamojong was having a huge party to celebrate his graduation from something or other and to make many friends since he wanted to go into politics. What better way to do that then bribe people with food and beer? I was to ride down with the Eldeens along with Leah and Ben. I packed an overnight bag and we left around 10:00.

We arrived in Mbale and dropped our stuff at the Shelburne’s were we would be spending the night . Leah, Ben and I were turned loose for the afternoon. We walked over to the landmark for lunch. Delicious. And then headed into town. Leah needed to stop at a bank to see if her account could be accessed and a post office to buy stamps. As Leah bought stamps at the post office I wondered around reading signs like “No Radioactive Material Allowed in the Mail” and the like. I found a display showing all kinds of Ugandan stamps, crested cranes, animals, flowers, the Nile, Michael Jackson. What?! Yes they had a set of four Michael Jackson, king of pop, stamps all of little cute Michael as a 10 year old. I told Leah she should buy some but when she asked the man behind the counter told her they were out. So we asked if we could purchase the ones in the display which he assented to. All you gotta do is ask.

After that we decided to wander further into Mbale just for fun. almost immediantly we ran into Jamie. He was at his friend Alex’s phone shop buying phones and stuff. We tagged up with him as he went to the Mtn Shop and the Zain shop so he could buy air time to sell. Then we wandered around. We went into a bunch of stores and tried to get free t-shirts and things. A lot of phone company stores and other places give away free t-shirts and posters and things in order to promote their product although sometimes they are reluctant to actually give you anything. Jamie got a dummy phone through his contact in the Warin (a phone company) Shop and then he sweet talked a lady at Orange (another phone company) and got two women’s t-shirts. We also tried to get some Ugandan Telecom T-shirts but the lady said they were out.

Around 4 we started walking back. We met Maria, Josh, and Laurie on the way back and Maria came with us. when we got to the Shelburne’s Jamie and I climbed up their tree house were we split a ginger soda and a candy bar. Then Maria came and she and James through sticks at each other.

Around 5:30 we headed over to the Proctors’ who are just next door. There were a ton of people there. I didn’t meet too many of them. Derrick from Cure was there along with a lot of the members of the OPC church in Mbale. Also there were a bunch of ex-pats there as well. The party was fun. we ate delicious food. The goat was a bit strange. I got to smoke a cigar with Craig, Phil Proctor, and Derrick. I hung out mainly with James and the other kids. That night I slept in the same bed that I slept in the first night I came to Africa. I didn’t use the mosquito net.

The next day while we waited for the Eldeens to come and pick use I watched Bambi with the Tricarico kids. Great movie. Very epic. I did find it odd though that the hunters shot at all the woodland creatures. Even lick little song birds and chipmunks. Like, did they want to kill and stuff those to put over their mantles? More like exterminator than hunters.

After the Eldeens picked us we went to happy where I bought an apple for breakfast and some Chowda (it’s like Indian snack food, like chex mix kinda but way tastier and foreign) just for later. On the ride back we say a couple of antelope like animals along with several ostriches and baboons.

Sunday afternoon there was a soccer game at the main compound so I went over and played. It was really fun although after about a half hour I had to quite because my feet hurt from playing barefoot on all the thorns and hot ground. After that James, Maria, Leah, and Jenny came over and we made smoothies. Jamie decided he needed to make a hibiscus flavored smoothie which turned out ok actually. Having the little bits of ground up hibiscus in you mouth was a bit unpleasant though. That afternoon no Africans came to the bibles study.

Rain on a Hot Tim Roof

November 26^th-30^th: Thursday-Monday

We spared the Turkey. We decided to give good will towards birds by letting him off the hook for thanksgiving. We may have ruined our gesture by killing 6 chickens Thursday instead though. For our thanksgiving dinner we pulled all the stops. We had stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, salad, rolls, and some form of cranberry sauce from a can. We all ate together in the courtyard. After dinner we had a time for everyone to give thanks for anything. We also sang a couple songs. As we sang a massive storm cloud moved over the mission. Lightning shot across the sky illuminating the cloud bank. It was awesome.

After putting up the trusses on Jim’s house and then some pearlings along the top of the roof line. After that though Bob and Craig decided to call off work for a bit. The roof was a bit too wobbly, resting only on steel posts and rebar to add the extra pounds of more pearlings. We’ll wait tell the work crew lays some more stone up to and around the trusses.

That Sunday during church it began to rain. I never remember it ever raining so early in the morning before. It started out quietly enough shortly after we began Sunday school. Within a few minutes though the sound of the rain on the tin roof completely drowned out sound of Al and Lokwii. Thus we sat for several minutes talking amongst ourselves and watching as Bobby and Mary ran back through the pounding rain to get their bed cloths off the Wrights roof.

The rain ended and Al began teaching again however it turned out to only be a lull in the storm because the rain started up again almost immediately. Sunday school was canceled for the day and the congregation mulled about waiting for the rain to let up. James and I though walked back in the rain. As we neared the Okkens compound the sun came out although the rain didn’t let up. I love it when the sun is shining and the sun is out.

Bob asked me to go down to Mbale with him to help the Mayville’s, a missionary couple, to pack their container since they are going back to America. We left that afternoon for Mbale. It was fun driving down because Bob got to drive through a bit of mud. Bob talked almost the entire way down about his life. He has lived a fascinating life.

That after noon after arriving in Mbale we went to the landmark were Bob ordered a massive amount of food. We had 3 or 4 appetizers along with several mains dishes, rice and Nan. We spent the night at the Shelburne's house were I began reading a really interesting story about England and Wales during the time of King Henry through John.

The next day Bob and I headed over to the Mayville’s which is just down the road from where we slept. We spent the day helping the Mayville’s, Tom and Carolyn to pack up their things. Tom and Carolyn are a nice couple somewhere in their fifties. Most of the things they had packed but there was still a lot of little things to do and quite a few boxes to tape up. This meant that Bob and I spent the entire day helping. Bob had hoped to only spend the morning and then pick up some supplies and be away by 5.

We ate lunch of samosas and chapatti along with a case of coke. Several men from the church came to help and most were sent home after lunch. That afternoon while waiting for more boxes to be readied for packing I say one of the strangest things I have ever seen. Directly outside the brick fence there were between 20 and 30 big hawks or eagles all swooping low over the road, no more than 5 feet from it. They would swoop low and then rise and circle up for another pass. One of the workers told me that they were eating flying ants. In only a few minutes all the birds had gone.

They day wore on and by 5 we still hadn’t left and were still a long ways off. By 6 we had all but finished and Bob decided to drive back anyway rather than spend another night in Mbale. That night we drove back to Karamoja under a full moon. Truly Africa is a beautiful continent.

We arrived at 8:30 that night and Martha had prepared a small dinner for us. After eating I stayed around and talked to Martha, Rachel, and Anna for a bit before heading back and hitting the hay.

Return to the Scene of the Crime

November 22nd-25th: Sunday-Wednesday

This week in Sunday school we began to practice to learn the ten commandments. Nakaramojong is an incredibly hatd language to speak and I had a really hard time trying to get my mouth around all the syllables.

That day I spent a lazy Sunday afternoon reading. Jim has a set of the Harvard classics and I have began reading The Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin. it is very interesting because he writes it for the layman, not getting too technical about the science. He also spends a lot of time just talking about the people. He is basically traveling downthe South American coast. Later that afternoon we got together for the bible study in the big house. Some Africans came again which was really fun. Pastor Al is talking about prayer which is really challenging me.

Monday Bob and I along with Lokwii Bon and Lodim Paul returned to the Bore-hole we had worked on the previous week. Because when the pipes slipped and fell we lost the pump we had to look for another. Bob knew there were some in the shipping container on the Okkens compound. However we also knew that that container was invested with wasps. Bob found a couple of bottles of insect poison and thus armed with our spray cans we entered. At first we couldn’t see any wasps or pumps for that matter. However we found them at almost the same time. An epic battle ensued. It raged back and for but the wasps got the worst of it and were forced to retreat. Indeed neither Bob nor I were harmed in the retrievence of the pump.

Upon arriving at the Bore-hole we set to work. We connected the pump to the pipe and began to lower it down. Adding pipes as we went we eventually put almost all the original pipes back in the hole. However this wasn’t nesecarry because the water level was higher then the depth of the hole. After replacing the entire mechanism the local Karamojong joyfully pumped out water. All in a days work.

For the next few days Bob, Craig and I worked to put the trusses for Jim’s house in position. Because Jim has such a large roof we had to put the individual trusses up separately and then clamp and seld them together instead of building them on the ground first. This meant that Bob and I spent most of the entire day about 15 feet up in the air balancing on top of scaffolds. During the dry season the winds here really pick up. So we are balancing atop these scaffolds trying to place these trusses and Bob is having to weld in this buffering wind. Bob compared it to someone giving him a shove.

I Love Indian Food and Bob Gets in A Fight With a Bore-Hole

November 18^th-21^st: Wednesday-Saturday

After work on Thursday I went and visited Moses and Robert at the clinic. We hung our for a bout an hour and played cards. They taught me an African card game which was really hard and I didn’t understand it at all. It was funny though because they called the suites by entirely different names. Like flowers instead of clubs. Also all the face cards weren’t kind, queen, etc… but K, Q, J. Half the confusion on my part was I had no idea what cards they were talking about half the time.

That evening we had a community meal to celebrate the return of the Eldeens and Leah. We had amazing Indian food. Butter chicken with garlic and plain nan. Absolutely delicious.

Friday morning Bob and I went and visited a bore-hole that had ceased to function. The karamojang using it had been bugging Bob for a couple of weeks to come and lokk at they’re “Bowel”. The way the Karamojang pronounce Bore-hole is “bowel”. Just imagine how much material has been derived from that.

The bore-hole lies between here and Namalu, just around the corner. A large group of men and kids awaited us. they all crowded around and thanked Bob, All talked at once and decided that Bob looked like Chuck Norris Bob concluded that we would need to come back and remove a large part of the pipes.

We returned after lunch with Lokwii Bon, James, and Lodim Paul to help us. Bob thought the problem was that the pipes had become disconnected because there was a lot of weight on the handle of the pump. What this ment is we needed to pull out all the pipes until we found what was wrong. We started pulling the pipes one by one. We used a tool with a lang hand and a “c” shaped piece at the end to grab the pipes and host them up. Then Bob would tighten the clamp on the pipe while we moved the tools down and then loosened it again so we could host it up. After pulling up ten pipes Bob was able to spy the pump on the end of the last pipe. We had just disconnected the second to last pipe when disaster struck.

The pipes at this time where covered in an incredibly slick mud. And although Bob had tightened the clamp holding the pipe with a hammer is still somehow slipped. Bob reached out and tried to grab the pipe but he couldn’t get a grip on it. The T-bar which we attached to the top of the pipe so if they do fall will catch the rim of the hole slammed down on Bob’s left hand. The larger pipe and the pump broke of and continued their plunge into the bottom of the hole. Bob’s hand was bleeding everywhere and I was a bit worried because he went through a little shock where he was wavering a bit on his feet and nodding in and out of conciences. However after laying down a bit he felt goo enough to drive back. He dropped himself at the clinic and James and I took the truck back and sorted out the tools. Then I went back to the clinic where I watched Robert give Bob a couple stitches.

Peanut Cookies and Potential Peacemakers

November 14^th-17^th: Saturday-Tuesday

Saturday I worked a half day and in the afternoon made desert for the community meal. after pouring over my mother’s cookbook I decided what I really wanted to eat was peanut butter kiss cookies, which is a peanut butter cookie with a Hershey kiss in the middle. However due to the fact that we didn’t have any chocolate kisses I used a bag of chocolate chips. The bag was one my dad had brought from America and was already partially melted. So I finished the melting process over the stove and then as the cookies came out warm from the oven I firmly pressed a chocolate chunk into the center of each cookie. They tasted very good if I do say so myself.

That evening after eating all the children and young adults hung out afterwards. We played one of my favorite games of all time. I don’t actually remember what it’s called or if I even ever knew its name. basically if you have a stack of note card sized paper equal in number to the people playing. Then everyone rights a strange sentence on the top paper and passes it to the person on their right. That person then has to read the sentence and draw a picture of it. They then pass the stack of paper after putting the sentence on the bottom of the pile and the next person has to write a sentence from the picture. And you go all around the circle and much joy and good will is created.

Sunday afternoons all the mzungus on the mission get together for a time of singing and a short lesson from one of the pastors. We sing western songs, use guitars, and hear a message that is not overly simplified. Recently though there has been a push to include some Africans, specifically the clinic staff, in this worships time. So on Sunday William, Moses, Robert, Albert, Stella, and Rachel came. I thought it was really cool to include these guys because sometimes it feels like an us and them sort of deal here.

All the Africans were very enamored with the guitar playing. Pastor Al passed around some printed out bible verses for people to read and William on my right got one. His reference was incryptically labeled Th #:##. He asked me what Th stood for and I graciously told him it stood fro Timothy. Doubts however waged in my own mind but I decided that Timothy logically would be Th. As it turns out however Th is Thessalonians. William found it very funny that I had misled him which is really unfair.

Monday Jim left Karamoja for his 3 weeks in the US. it was a time of great sadness. that night for guys night I made beef stroganoff with rice. It turned out very good I think. The Wrights have encouraged me to do more at guys night then just eat dinner and watch a movie. I think we will try to go through the young peacemakers.

The Retuen of Bob

November 9^th-13^th: Monday-Friday

Bob is finally back. He looked at the work the guys did on Jim’s house when he waqs gone and noticed a huge problem. The walls aove the windows are all wonky. Jim’s house is made of huge granite stones cemented together. While this looks really cool and it very strong it makes it rather difficult to keep the walls level vertically and horizontally. The boys had messed up the walls pretty bad so I and Lodokaro spent Monday tearing it down.

Tuesday Bob and I made shelves for his container. It took us all day but it looks very smart. I spent most of the rest of the week doing odd jobs for Bob and mass producing curtain rod holders both for his house and for the main house/Tricarico’s house. Also Bob had me begin drilling holes and running wire for outlets and lights in the workshop. Eventually Bob wants to have lights and a couple outlets run off of solar power and the rest of the outlets run when the generator is turned on.

Monday this week we had Guy’s Night. This started because every Monday all the girls on the mission got together for dinner and a bibles study so all the young guys were left on their own anyway. Now Jim is hosting it and he makes dinner and JB, Mark, Moses, Albert, William, And now Robert come from the clinic along with James, Bobby, and Ben. That night Ben volunteered to make dinner and we watched The Kingdom. Great movie. Thanks Brandon.

Mark’s last work day was Wednesday morning. Jim and I had him and Moses over Tuesday night. We hung out and watched a movie. Also though we were able to pray which was really great and I know something Jim has been wanting to do for a long time. I said goodbye to Mark that night since I didn’t see him the next day.

In Which I Make Macaroni and Cheese

November 6^th-8^th: Friday-Sunday

My foot has continued to improve over the weekend. The swelling has reduced a bit more each day. While it still produces puss every day it is still improving.

On Saturday Jim and I went down to Mbale with a bunch of the guys from the clinic. JB, Moses, Mark, Albert, and another translator form the clinic. Shoot, I really can’t remember his name right now. Mark needed to do his back to school shopping. I don’t think I have mentioned it before but Mark was approved for a scholarship and is going back to school to become a nurse. He is really excited. Also all the other guys needed to do some shopping and filled the car with cavaras full of purcheses by the end of the day, except fro JB who didn’t have any money.

We ate lunch at the landmark and all the guys really enjoyed it. We had a couple different kinds of dishes. Some chicken masala and lentils and things but the guys just mixed everything together. It was a very fun trip for me. not only did I get to hang out with the guys from the clinic for a day but also I was able to buy some more razors and since my last razor was so dull I couldn’t shave large parts of my face it was greatly appreciated.

After we got back Jim and I really wanted to go for a run. It was nearly dark though so jim grabbed his headlamp and we set out. About half way through the run it got completely dark. Luckily by that time we had gotten to the main road so it was relatively smooth and we could run side by side and both benefit from Jim’s headlamp.

Sunday after church when Jim drove some people back to Namalu I made my mother’s home made macaroni and cheese. Dispite several changes to the recipe due to different ingrediants I thought it tasted nearly as good as my mom’s. a very good meal. Jim liked it too.

Finally Much Forshadowing Is Explained

November 2^nd-5^th: Monday- Thursday

Monday morning began like any other day in Karamoja. I got up, did my devotions, ate breakfast. Actually it was very different since I am staying with Jim in the Okken’s house and all of this took place in there house and not three separate buildings as it had when I stayed in Karamoja this summer. However my dad was about to get that much stranger.

That morning I went to the clinic for Jim to have another look at my foot. The swelling had reduced to a large area around my "bite” on top of my foot. Jim commenced to numb my foot via injection. Why is it that the shots to numb you hurt so much? It makes you wonder whether or not it’s actually worth it. Dr. Jim next used a razor to cut the top of the bite off. Large amounts of puss and blood flowed out. Using tweezers he began picking at the wound. He then pulled out a massive chunk what looked like a giant booger. It left a gaping hole in my foot. Jim then pushed out a massive amount of blood and puss. It hurt an incredible amount. Apparently the anesthetic is only a local and, in fact, does not numb the entire point. Just my luck. So after cleaning out the wound Jim stuffed the hole with gaze and bandaged me up. Jim thinks the mass he pulled out of my foot was most likely just solidified puss and hopefully not a worm.

For the next two days Jim continued to extract some few bits of solidified puss and continued to push out more puss and blood. Jim also began to have me soak my foot in some warm soapy water to help clean the wound. I had been taking ibuprofen religiously before the operation and I now stopped almost entirely because, except when Jim was digging around in my foot, it didn’t hurt very much.

Both Bob and Craig aren’t in Karamoja right now so I don’t really have anything to do. The work crew is working on Jimbo’s house. They are laying stone for his walls and working very slowly and ponderously. So I have been doing odd jobs for the missionaries and hanging out with James and Bobby fixing hammers because amazingly the boys seem to break at least one a day breaking apart stone for the walls.

Every Monday night here Jim has been hosting a “Guys night” where James, Bobby, Ben, Albert, Mark, Moses, JB, and William come over for dinner and then usually a movie. This Monday Jim and I made chili with noodles. While the rest of the guys watched a planet earth James, Bobby, and I hung out in my room and played with some little key-chain dart guns my cousins sent me before I left Uganda. James got hit in the face a lot.

Thursday after “work” Jim was still not back from the clinic so I decided to make caramel rolls. My mom sent over her cookbook with my dad so I set about baking. I had just finished the dough when Jim got back. That night for dinner we ate fresh warm caramel rolls for dessert. It tasted almost just like they did in America. Almost. I stored the extra dough in the freezer to make some more later.

Thursday morning I went to the clinic a bit early, in time for prayers. After prayers I talked with JB. His son is very sick with malaria and is getting worse because he cannot keep down anything, not even water; he is just throwing it right back up. JB’s wife and son are living in Namalu which is a town about 15 minutes drive from the clinic and station. He has been commuting back and forth. JB is almost always smiling and joking but today he was really down and quite.

That night Jim had the entire clinic staff, including Jenny a nurse who is her for 10 months. That night Jim and I made tacos. It was really fun to explain how to add all the ingredients and then fold and eat the taco. One of the clinic workers has two little girls who I got to know a bit this summer. Jim served everyone a soda and these two little girls drank theirs in about two minutes flat. I heard jenny explaining to some clinic workers what cheese was. After dinner we watched a planet earth, mountains. It made me really miss the mountains in Montana.

In Which we Find More Hot & Food That JB Likes

October 31^st- November 1^st: Saturday & Sunday

Saturday began with the hottest shower I have had in recent memory. Blissful. After packing Jim, JB and I piled into the car and setout for Lagogo mall in search of an early morning milkshake. Our hopes where dashed however when we learned that the coffee shop was all out of ice cream. Curses. On the way to the mall, while stopped at a light (which was green incidentally, just to help you understand how superfluous traffic lights are in Uganda) I spied a series of signs saying things about cheap furniture and excellent deals on couches. one caught my eye however. It read:

Women

Like It

Big

Perfectly innocent I’m sure but still rather humorous. Next we stopped at Capital, a large and spacious shopping center which spanned two stories connected by an escalator. JB and I did shopping for Jenny while Jim got his things. My foot was really hurting me by this point so I was realived when we piled in the car and set out for Jinja.

On the way I told Jim and JB of my climb up Kili. We arrived in Jinja where Jimbo picked up two pictures he had ordered. Actually Jim only ordered one but they seemed to think otherwise so he got two. Then he mailed some letters and we set out on the road again. Another few hours found us in Mbale where we stopped at the Landmark for lunch. There for the first time on the trip JB actually enjoyed the food we made him eat.

That evening after running a few errands in Mbale we camped out at the Shelbournes who are gone on furlough. Jim started me on anti-biotics and stuff and I had kept my foot elevated while we ere driving so the swelling had began to reduce a bit. That evening after a warm bath (blissful) we watched Sabrina, the one with Harrison Ford.

We were on the road early that morning. Poor Jim was really tired since he wan’t able to get a lot of sleep the night before. When we got off the tarmac he let me drive so he could try to get some rest although I don’t think my driving helped him out very much. It felt a lot like coming home when we passed through Namalu. The men wearing their crosheted hats, the women in their skirts, the kids without pants. We pulled into the Okkens compound where Jim and I would be staying since they where gone on furlough. The Tricarico kids came over and helped us unload. We were met inside with a pile of boxes and action packers. The Wrights had moved all of Jim’s thinks from his room and the main house over to the Okkens the day before.

It was slightly strange to be back in church. It seemed so recent that I was saying goodbye and now I am back. It feels different or maybe I am just different. I said hello to the clinic guys and gave Logiel Mark a hug. That afternoon Jim and I unpacked, put away his (actually now its our) vast store of food and got settled in.

International Travel, Hot Showers, & Getting JB To Try New Foods

October 29^th -30^th: Thursday & Friday

My plane left Tanzania at 9:45 an unsurprising half hour late. The flight took just over two hours with short stop in Mwanza before continuing onto Uganda over Lake Victoria. That morning I had finished packing, found my bible, and hugged my goodbyes. Unity drive me to the airport where I checked on my action packer (weighing 20.3 kilos, only 0.3 kilos over the required limit. A fact I am proud of since I guessed not having a scale) saying goodbye is always a bitter-sweet thing. Sweet that I love these people enough to miss them but bitter, because I am leaving.

I landed in Uganda shortly after noon. It was raining. After passing through customs I loitered outside the airport sheltered from the rain by an overhanging ledge until a security guard said I couldn’t wait there any more. He led me away from the other dozen travelers waiting in the relative dry around the door and into the parking lot where he kindly brought me a plastic chair to sit in, though not a umbrella.

Jim found me thus some ten minutes later. We embraced and then drove to a hostel/restaurant where we met Derrick for lunch. I had amazing lasagna and coffee and chocolate ice cream for dessert. Derrick is the administrator for CURE hospital which treats kids in Mbale. After lunch we toured an impressive catholic hospital between Entebbe and Kampala. Afterwards Jim and I met JB (John Bosco) a Karamojong Translator from the clinic who Jim had invited to come down and spend a few days with us in Kampala. JB is a tall, thin, married with a young son and 19. He is incredibly good natured, with a smile almost constantly brightening his face.

We met Derrick then for Coffee in the most western place I have ever been here, Café Java. There we spent several minutes persuading JB to try some of our iced coffee, a theme which would persist through out the weekend.

That evening after checking into to the guest house where we would spend the night we met Derrick again for dinner at Krur, a Thai restaurant. There we persuaded JB to get a basic rice dish. I tried red Dahl something which was pretty good. It was my first time having Thai food and I though it was pretty good. Shortly before ten we went to the movie theater in Garden City where we watched Inglorious Basterds. Altogether not the best choice. A strange mix of violence, history, and dialogue, it was never the less not a good choice. That evening Jim took a look at my still swollen foot which not required painkillers regularly each day and more to sleep. He declared it puss free after some minor surgery although the dinner was doing a number on my bowels.

The next morning I took a hot shower and loaded our stuff in the car. We would be staying the next night in another GH in Kampala due to Jim’s inability to find cheap accommodations more than two nights in a row. That morning we ate breakfast in Café Java (pancakes for me. God bless panned cakes). Then we took a long walk through down town Kampala. While endowed with skyscrapers and traffic lights (shish no one follows incidentally) Kampala still is distinctly African. We say many large storks, looking like bald, sun-spotted old men of dubious intentions.

After that we wandered around Garden City for a short time, cigar hunting. Unfortunately we were unable to find any in sealed packaging capable of making the strenuous trip to Karamoja. For lunch we again met Derrick and a group headed by Jim’s good friend’s mother. The 11 of us ate at an Italian restaurant where I ordered a four cheese pizza with four un-pronounceable named cheeses which was delicious. Despite our best efforts to get JB to try something else new he ordered chicken and chips.

After lunch Jim and I went to a local gelato place for dessert where we bought JB a blueberry flavored scoop which we finished for him. We returned to the GH where earlier we had dropped the bags and while Jim napped JB and I watched Mr. Bean The Movie and I checked email. JB greatly enjoyed the movie. Still full from the late lunch we left the guest house in search of pool table. we found one in a bar where Jim and I were the only Whites. Jim and I began a game which soon revealed our lack of skill and threatened to end at dawn. However JB stepped in for me and brought about a swift completion to the game. Jim soon left because the cigarette smoke was making him ill. JB and I stayed and ordered more drinks. The bar had now filled with Africans all of whom seemed to know each other. JB and I played several more games against the locals and lost every single one, although I almost one but I missed the clincher shot. Jim came back several hours later and we departed and returned to the GH and slept soundly.

Saying Goodbyes & Licking Stamps

October 26^th-28^th: Monday-Wednesday

This last week at school was great. I love all the little kids here. I enjoy playing and teaching them so much. It turned out to be pretty hard to say goodbye. I helped Gladness in her class the last week. On Wednesday o brought a bag of Jolly Ranchers (given to me by someone in my church, I can’t remember who though) to share with the kids, as a going away present. At the end of his day they all sat down and said goodbye to me. They sing a little song they know

“A long, long time

we are together

but the time is over

we say bye bye”

pretty cute and kinda cheesy. I thanked them and then handed out the Jolly Ranchers. They were really happy with them and liked them a lot. I gave the rest of the candy to the teachers.

I went running again Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday I went on my longest run. About 8 miles I think. It combines all of my routes and does a loop throughout most of Moshi. kind me saying goodbye. Monday I ran across another speaker, I think this one was political again.

Monday brought rains, on and off all day. Tuesday more of the same. Massive amounts of water fell, creating miles and miles of mud. Every road and footpath was turned into a river and a then into a muddy swamp. Tuesday I went to the choir practice. It was dark and rainy that night. I played with a couple of the little kids in the church. The choir sounded amazing as usual. After they had practiced a bit they were goofing off on the keyboard, playing with the beats. They found and started impersonating rappers. It was hilarious. They were really good. Then they made up a rap about the church. I couldn’t really understand what they were saying but they all had the swagger and the dance moves down. It was almost dark by the time we left. We had waited for a break in the rain. Neema, Lighty and I decided to make a break for home. We couldn’t take a shortcut though because of the mud so we had to take the long way. Only just out of the church gate it began to drizzle, the drops increased to a light rain, it began to rain heavily and soon had turned into a torrent. We slipped and slid in the mud. I learned how to say “nina chukia matope!” which means “I hat mud!” Once I was soaked through I took great joy in the experience. It reminded me of running in Karamoja.

Wednesday my mom was able to wire money to me so I could pay Unity for housing me and be able to buy a visa back into Uganda. I went out to eat at my favorite restaurant in Moshi. Inditalianos. I had amazing paneer and cheesy Nan. I had bought postcards in Zanzibar and Moshi and wrote17 to various friends. It took me several hours. After lunch I mailed them. That evening my foot swelled enormously after I notice a small bump on top of my foot. I assumed I had been bitten by a spider, little did I know what lay in store for me.

Wednesday night Unity organized a going away celebration for me. He invited all the young guys in the church to come over. Most of them were able to come. Unity made me get pictures with everyone and then he down loaded them on my computer. He asked everyone to say something about me and most replied in Kiswahili and he translated. It meant so much to me to hear everything they had to say. Then he presented me with a certificate for volunteering at the school. He also bought me a t-shirt of Tanzania that he had picked out. Then I got a chance to say something. I said basically that I was very thankful for all of them. For being my family while I was here and I would miss them. I almost started to cry. I love them so much and I may never see them again.

Then we ate a snack of g-nuts, tea, cake and I shared some skittles with them. Unity then had us all go out and take a bunch of pictures in the bed of his truck. After that everyone left except for Unity’s family. Before we ate I gave them their gifts. I had gotten kangas for all the girls. Kangas are thin 3 ft by 5ft cloths that women in east Africa use for everything. I gave the guys some of my movies, Gladiator, Count of Monte Cristo, and K-19. We ate dinner all together that night. I stayed up until nearly 2 packing. It’s funny because I didn’t want to pack. If I packed that it would be acknowledging the fact that I was leaving.

I Speak At A Rally & Visit A Maasai Church

October 23^rd-25^th: Friday-Sunday

I went running on Friday and Saturday. My new shoes my dad brought have me have worked great. All the aches and pains I was dealing with have gone. Hopefully they will not reappear and were simply the cause of my old shoes and not something else. Friday I was running down a dirt road in the slums to the west were I live. The entire road was blocked by a large crowd that was grouped around a speaker on a small stage. She was ranting in Kiswahili. All the decorations and t-shirts worn by her co-horts were in Tanznia colors. I had to worm my way through the crowd. A silence fell as everyone watched my cross the open space in the middle. Feeling the need to say something I cried “Yeah, Tanzania”. The crowd broke out in applause and cheers.

It is hard to imagine I will leave for Uganda next week. It will be strange to say goodbye and even stranger to say hello and to return to Karamoja. I have been using my remaining time here doing odd things on the web since it will be a bit more limited once I return to Karamoja. I will leave next Thursday. It should only take me about 3 hours to reach Entebbe, Uganda.

My last Sunday here Unity was preaching in a Maasai church about an hours drive from Moshi. he invited me to come along. Although I was sad to miss my last Sunday in Unity’s church I wanted to spend the time with Unity and he seemed really eager for me to go.

We drove for more than an hour to reach the small stick and mud church. We were part of the way by a church member and he directed us to follow several goat paths in Unity’s truck in order to avoid the long way around by road. Upon arrival some young men in the church came and took our bibles and we were ushered into a small building behind the church where we met several pastors and where given bottled water.

After a brief period of the pastors talking in Kiswahili we prayed, and then church began. Unity and I were given seats in the front of the church. Also another two visiting pastors and the pastor himself sat upfront. The church building was exceedingly small. Perhaps 8-10 feet wide and not even twice as long. However forty or more people managed to seat themselves inside. Only a few of the men were dressed in traditional clothing but many of the older men had their earlobes stretched. We sang and the Africans danced. We prayed and then the choir performed.

Unity stood up to preach and introduced himself and then allowed me to say a few things, why I was there, my name, etc… Unity preached for a while and then he blessed the pastors son, this is why we came since the pastor cannot bless his own son, and also prayed for many of the church members who were suffering form sickness. After a closing song we all trooped outside to shake hands. I got to talk to the youth in the church, most were my age or a but younger. They were all very shy but one in particular was very outgoing and talkative.

We ate lunch there. Rice, beef and some vegetables stew, and sodas. We sat behind the church behind the building we had prayed in that morning under an awning made from kangas patched together. On of the kids asked me if I would be around that summer for a youth conference thing in Moshi were all the youth in the soroundung churchs come to Moshi for several days of singing and prayer. I told him I wouldn’t. he said maybe I could come back another year. It made me realize I may never get the chance to visit Unity and his family again. At least not for several years.

And Then I Go Home

0ctober 22^nd: Thursday

I awake to the light of day streaming in through the windows of the ferry. We are steaming into Dar. We depart in a large mob. Every one is very rude getting of the boat. I am consistently elbowed, poked, and shoved. Why does everyone need to get of so fast? I manage to finally get off. I find the daladala that my driver friend Muhammad from the ferry said should take me to the bus stop.

We docked at 6:00 and it takes the daladala a half hour to get to the bus stop. I fight my way through the mob of guys who are trying to make a few shillings by buying me a ticket or taking me somewhere I already know where to go. I make it to Dar Express office and try to buy a ticket. Unfortunately the 7:00 bus is a more expensive one. So the man puts me on the 6:30 bus. Another worker leads me in a wild goose chase throughout the bus station looking for our bus. We finally find it, third in line for going out the gate. For whatever reason I am not allowed to get on there. First we have leave the station and cross the station. Then as the bus leaves the station I am ushered aboard.

Sleep some of the trip home but I can’t get comfortable. O finish my book and spend several hours staring out the window. We finally arrive at 3:05. it is good to be back in Moshi. I walk down to easycom and do some email. Then I go home.

It is good to see everyone. I realize ow hard it will be to say goodbye to everyone. We go to prayers that night where I pray and play with the little kids in turn. That evening I hang out with unity and his family. It is good to be back.

In Which I Eat Fresh Sea Food, Talk To Many People and See Some Humongeous Tortoises

October 21^st: Wednesday

I am awoken at 4:30 by a Muslim crier who sounds like he is right outside my window, which he probably is. I get up around 5:30 and dress. I leave my hostel to go explore the city before breakfast. I have to rouse the owner, to let me out of the locked door. The city is strangely empty and quite compared to when I went to bed last night. Soon however it begins to fill with people beginning their days. The daladalas start, almost no shops are open but people wander about in a focused manner. Its hot, even now I am sweating.

I get back around at 7:00 and after pounding on the door for several minutes I manage to wake the owner. I pack all my thinks. All my cloths smell of sweat. I only brought three shirts and I am saving the last for later today. I dress in my swim trunks and then pull on my shots over them. Breakfast is toast, fruit and egg. I check-out and take a wandering path over to the big tree, a massive tree that sits on the edge of the town and across the street from a beach that is the launching grounds for many of the boats. There I meet Kazim; another friend of Daniel that said hooked me up with the day before. Kazim is a medium height, well built African, dressed in a bright yellow brazil jersey and a pair of swim trunks. He greets me with a big smile and soon finds me a pair of fins and a mask and we set out for prison island which is a 35 minute boat ride away.

As we traverse the bright blue ocean I talk to Kazim. We talk about a lot of things. I learn that he night fishes at Pemba, the island north of Zanzibar, for a fish like the barracuda that is longer than a man. He is not yet thirty and has been a fisherman/guide his whole life. He ask me if I have a boyfriend. I ask him if he means girlfriend. He says yes but continues to get the word wrong throughout our conversation. He himself is single because as he tells me “the problem is always the women on Zanzibar.” I tell him it’s not just on Zanzibar.

We arrive at prison island where we spend about a half hour seeing some ruins and feeding the giant tortoises on the island. There are over 100 of the monsters. The largest’s shell must have been 5ft by 3ft. they are huge massive creatures. Their size and weight are staggering.

After this I spend several minutes watching Kazim take apart his engine and clean the spark plugs. Kazim apologizes and tells me not to worry. We get under way soon enough and travel out to the reef. I put on my fins and mask and jump in. it takes a few minutes to get used to breathing through the mask. The reef is colorful and full of fish. Perhaps not the best snorkeling reef ever. The sun is gone, the water isn’t very clear, and the reef is obviously damaged by anchors but it is still beautiful. After snorkeling for about an hour I retire to the boat. With the sun gone I am cold and the mask is giving me a headache. We go back to Stone Town.

We arrive around noon and I am sorry to say goodbye to Kazim. I wander down the waterfront checking out the menus for the restaurants. One, the Archipelago, looks promising. I mount the stairs to the second story restaurant where I change into my last clean shirt and some not very clean shorts. I sit at a table that overlooks the ocean. The sun is out again. Palm trees and white sand lead down to blue water. I order the baby squid salad with tomatoes and green peppers and the BBQ swordfish with avocados. Amazing. The squid salad is nearly the entire squids, just the insides and eyes, beak removed. I leave and wander down through the touristy part of town. I buy some postcards. I scoff at cheesy t-shirts that cost $28. I stop by a group of guys playing an interesting game. They tell me it is called Kerem or something and explain the rules to me. I discovered a fun question to ask. I ask whether Zanzibar is a different country than Tanzania. The responses are remarkably different. Yesterday a shop owner told me passionately that Zanzibar is a different country and that the Tanzanian president didn’t want the Zanzibar people because they were Muslims. He also told me that every single person on Zanzibar was Islamic. My Kerem playing friends tell me they are from the main land and that people who say that Zanzibar and Tanzania are different countries are fools.

I wander around Stone Town, buying some gifts for Unity’s Family and a few other things. I check out the old dispensary, whatever that is, and find a public building with art work done by local artists on the second floor. The building is a really cool design. I use their very western bathrooms and am delighted to find a toilet. After nearly an hour of searching I finally find the Anglican Cathedral which is built on the site of the old slave market and whose alter is set on the same spot as the whipping post. I decline a guide to the disgust of the men at the gate. I am running low on money. I look at the slave chambers and explore the church. It really is beautiful. As I am leaving one of the guides stops me and quizzes me on the history of the church. I am able to answer most of his questions since I did some research before I came here.

Then I wander down to the southern part of the city. I cross over form historic Stone Town to the modern Zanzibar City. I cross into a park where there are several football games going on. I sit down to watch. A young man soon comes and sits down and we start to chat about sports and Zanzibar. After an hour I leave. I wander up to the waterfront where I stop at an Italian restaurant and order a beer and watch the sun set. I couple of elderly ladies who I rode the ferry here with come up and ask me if they can join me at my table. I say sure. They are both from Norway and have traveled all over the world together. We have an interesting conversation.

After the sun sets I excuse myself. I am going to go eat at the food stalls which serve fresh daily caught seafood. The food stalls are located in the middle of the Forodhani Gardens. I buy a plate full of fresh fish, shark, prawns, calamari, and piece of garlic Nan.

As the cook puts my order on the grill to heat it up I stay and chat with the assistant, a young guy with a quirky sense of humor. I eat looking out at the ocean and watching the people wander around the food stall. While there are a lot of tourists there are even more locals. A man sits down near me and try to sell me a cd of African music. He is really drunk and keeps falling asleep, waking every few minutes to mumbles about his cd and hum the tune of one of the songs. He is sitting on the edge of the stone wall of the harbor and I am mildly hoping that he falls asleep and topples into the water. No such luck. I go to find the bathroom and discover that it costs 300 Tsh. Ok, this is a strange country. This is a legit guy asking for money too. He has a uniform, and key, and they price is written on the wall of the toilet.

After exiting the most expensive bathroom I have ever visited I pull out my remaining Cuban cigar. I rim the edge and then discover I can’t find my matches. Great. I go back to my friend at the food stall and he helps me light it. I let him have a puff and he chokes and starts coughing. A bit stronger than a cigarette I guess. I smoke the cigar as I walk towards the ferry. I am taking the night ferry back to Dar. I walk along the waters edge. Look out at the big black ocean. Drop some ash on my foot. I finish the cigar and through it into the water.

I spend several minutes at the ferry trying to get someone to stamp my passport to prove I was here. I finally find a man who can. I board the ferry and am ushered into the upper deck. Got tipped of here. I could have paid less and gone below deck where they leave the lights on and watch Jackie Chan movies. I strike up a conversation with a daladala driver named Muhammad. I then read and finally fall asleep near midnight. At some pointing the night I need to go to the bathroom. We apparently are on the ocean since the boat is rocking back and forth. I stumble towards the bathroom. As I try to keep my balance and aim I am suddenly suspicious of this seemingly innocent water on the bathroom floor. I finally manage to make my way back to the upper deck. I am now feeling decidedly sick. I flop down on my couch I scored for my self. The sickening motion of the boat soon turns to a pleasant lulling and I fall asleep.

Black Berry Jam and Nature is Not G-Rated

October 20^th: Tuesday

I got up early again in order to catch the daladala into town and make my 9:00 ferry. Janet very kindly made me whole wheat toast with blackberry jam. Little slice of home. Dan walked me to the road at 6:00 and I hopped on the daladala around 6:30. As we made our ponderous progress into town we continued to add more and more passengers until we were cramped like clowns in a Volkswagen and I was sweating like I was in a sauna. After a certain point our forward progress began to diminish to a few feet every couple of minutes. The pedestrians streamed past us. Finally as it neared 8:00 I elbowed my way out. I needed to find a taxi. My check in time was 8:30. As soon as I got out the traffic demons seeing that I had given up decided to let traffic start moving. Soon my daladala was out of sight. Great. I crossed the street and found a group of taxis but no drivers. Finally I found the drivers. I haggled for a bit and got into the passenger side with another driver who spoke no English. Thankfully I know “fast” in Swahili so I just sat back and cried “Haraka! Haraka!” I seemed to found the most passive and defensive African driver in all of Africa.

When we had finally arrived at the ferry it was two minutes tell 9:00. So much for checking in early. I was ushered through several gates and by several rotund ferry workers. During this time I noticed that my ticket said check-in-time 9:00, departure9:30. Oh. I sat around tell around 9:30 when I noticed a lot of the other whites were leaving. I decided to follow. I wandered down to the docks where I gave my ticket to a bored looking Indian fellow and boarded a speedy looking boat full of tourists. I guess it’s a bit too much work for the ferry workers to alert the passengers when their ferry is ready. It’s just so much to ask.

I ended up falling asleep on the trip over. I woke to see a sparkling green coastline and white stone buildings sitting atop the blue ocean. Kinda beautiful. We tourists piled of the boat and we proceeded to go through customs. I tried repeatedly to contact Daniel my supposed guide for the spice tour I planned to go on that day. He finally texted me that he was in a meeting. I tried to text him back that I was waiting at the dock but I don’t seem to be able to send texts Tanzanian phones. Go figure. I pushed my way through the hub of taxi drivers at the gates of the dock. After nearly 40 minutes of confusion, failed texts messages, many a missed call, and one point where my phone refused to do anything despite the four little bars in the corner. Finally Daniel got a hold of me to tell me that his friend Said (pronounced “say-eed) was meeting me.

Said was a slimly built Muslim, around thirty. He took me to lunch, which was part of the package. Spiced rice and chicken. The best African meal I have ever had. Then we went on the spice tour. While I don’t think Said ever smiled while he was with me he did like to talk. We talked about Islam, Zanzibar, his family, the drought, his career etc… We arrived at our destination. A slightly wooded area a thirty minute drive out of Stone town. There we met Levi our guide and Nike our spice boy. Levi is not Levi’s real name but that’s what I call him because he was wearing blue jeans and a blue shirt that said “Levi” on it. Plus I can’t remember his real name. We wandered around and Levi with the help of Nike showed me an astounding variety of spices in a staggering array of plants. Beware though, this spice tour was not rated G. some more inappropriate highlights which of course I remember. Ginger is a Viagra for men. Likewise nutmeg is a Viagra for women. Also Levi declared that the henna plant root was “very dangerous” and “bad” since if consumed it could cause abortions. Cool. The finale consisted of Nike (again not his real name, he wore a Nike cap at jaunty angle), the spice boy, climbed a massive palm tree and cut down three unripe coconuts which we drank the milk out of. Delicious.

Said and I talked again on the ride back to Stone Town where he helped me find some cheap lodgings for the night. At 16,000 Tsh ($12) a night the Annex of Abdullah fit the bill. I said good bye to Said. And took a much needed shower. Then I went out and explore Stone Town. After wandering through a thoroughly confusing set of streets I finally found the ocean. Hoping I could find my way back I went and checked out the House of Wonders, or the National History Museum. A massive and beautiful building it now houses several exhibits of the islands past, including a full sized dou (sp? Rhythms with “ow”), cloths from the royal palace, and the first president’s car, a tropical turquoise beast complete with tail fins.

After that I plunged into the labyrinth of Stone Town. With narrow streets, hardly wide enough for a motorcycle and high 3-4 story buildings it is easy and fun to get lost. The buildings are painted white and are in various states of decay. A mixture of Arabs, Indians, and Africans wander its streets. 95% of Zanzibar is Muslim and there are mosques everywhere all painted white with sea green trim making them look like giant cakes.

To save money I don’t eat out that night. Instead I rely on my supply of digestives and g-nuts. Before going to bed I take a look at my foot. I had developed a blister under several calluses on the way off Kili. However it has been hurting in the last few days. I think it may be infected but I can’t see anything since it is covered by the callous. The pain now is so much that I can’t sleep without pain medication. I take my knife to it. Pus and blood run out. I think it’s infected. I track down a pharmacy and ask for band aids. The women pulls out what looks like a roll of gauze. Ok. Only 200 Tsh. I get back to my room and discover the gaze is a net like think with more holes than my mosquito net. Never mind. My room thankfully has a fan. I fall asleep early that night to the sound of the city alive around me. Street vendors calling. Kids laughing. Men talking on street corners.

I Take A Bus Ride, A Taxi Ride, and A Daladala Ride

October 19^th: Monday

Crawled out of bed at 5:45. Pulled on some cloths and made sure I had everything. I had packed everything in a small backpacking pack my dad left from our assault on Kili. Unity and Grace gave me a ride to the Dar Express office where the bus would pick me up. Before I got out they prayed for me. The bus was scheduled to leave at 7:30 so I was surprised and delighted that we were on the road by 8:00.

The bus itself was very nice. Comfy seats, clean, and they served complimentary sodas which for 25,000 Tsh I think was called for. I sat right in front behind the driver next to the aisle. The bus driver looked upsettingly tired. I decided to keep an eye on him so if he started dozing off I could douse him with my coke. I soon fell asleep and dozed for a couple of hours.

Driving in Tanzania always interests me. There seems to be only a few driving rules. First driving on the left side of the road. Second, right of way is decided by the size of the vehicle, not by any traffic rules. So we being in a huge travel bus always had the right of way. Top of the food chain. Oh the other rule is that matatus, or daladalas don’t have to obey the traffic rules, but at their own peril.

We arrived in Dar Es Salaam shortly after 3:00. We pulled into a large bus station and as the other passengers and I clambered off the bus we were immediately assaulted by taxi drivers. I dodged behind the bus and made my escape towards the exit. I called the McBrides who are old friends of the Tricaricos and who I planned to spend the night with. They said they would pick me up at the Mwenge Carvers Market at 6:00.

I decided to take a taxi to the carvers market since I couldn’t find a daladala that was going there. I spotted a slightly built young taxi driver who I figured I could take in a fight if need be and asked if he could take me to the market. He replied in the affirmative and I got in. as we started of I asked him if he spoke English. He gave me a confused, bewildered look that I took as “no”. He had a stuffed elephant hanging from his rear view mirror that upon my saying “jina” (name in Swahili) and pointing he confided its name was Omar. Using the same sophisticated technique I learned his name was Harry. We stopped for gas and then he promptly took me to what looked like a strip mall. I reminded him I wanted to go to the carvers market. We left the mall and drove along several roads for some time. Finally we stopped at another gas station where the young Harry sought the knowledge of his fellow taxi drivers. After several long minutes of rapid discussion where I learned that none of them spoke English and they consulted my tiny map of Dar that was noticeably lacking the location of the carvers market harry pulled into the street, pulled a U-turn parked on the other side of the street. We had found the market. I stepped out and looked back at the gas station where we had just spent the precious ten minutes trying to figure out how to get here. The Taxi drivers who had helped us waved.

The carvers market was made up of at least 50 small shops each selling nearly identical souvenirs. Carvings of animals, masaai, bowls, utensils, beaded jewelry, knives, and artwork. It amazes me that all the tourist shops in Africa that I have been to sell nearly the same identical things. I wondered trying to kill some time and finally asked someone which daladala I should take if I wanted to get to the Zanzibar Ferry. I was told the Mwenge Posta. Armed with this knowledge and a sense of adventure at around 4:30 I hopped on the correct daladala and paid my 250 Tsh, about 20 cents.

I struck up several conversations on the ride. One with a painter, another with a student studying medicine in the Dar University. I was told I needed to tell my Swahili speaking door man I wanted to get off at posta zamani. For those not familiar with daladalas they are very small buses, or rather large vans. Equipped with approximately 14 seats they can hold more than twice that number. The crew consists if the driver and the door boy. The door to the daladala is a large sliding door like on a van. The door boy stands by the door, pulling it open and closed, shouting the destination of the daladala, and collecting the fare from the passengers.

I finally made it to the water front and the ferry office which thankfully was still open. I was happy to be back in a big city. Although it could never be confused for say Portland it still gave that impression of a large, bustling, almost western city. After I finally bought my ticket which was much cheaper than my research had indicated it was approaching 5:30. I called the McBrides in order to see if they wouldn’t mind waiting for me to find a daladala back so I could still stay with them. After several missed calls, failed text messages, repeatedly buying of airtime from a drunk (or high, I wasn’t really paying him a whole lot of attention) Rastafarian the McBrides finally just told me to wait where I was and they would come and get me. Well I was feeling pretty stupid at this point. I had wandered off and gotten myself in trouble and now these adults had to come rescue the kid. At least that is the way I felt. However I am glad that I was able to spend the night with them instead of a guesthouse.

They rolled up and after handshakes I got in and we headed to a favorite Chinese restaurant because the traffic out of Dar is so bad at night we would have been stuck in traffic for hours. Waiting out the traffic while eating good food seemed like a good plan to me. The McBrides, Dan and Janet, have been missionaries in Dar for 17 years. They are about the same age as my parents with four kids, all of similar ages as our family. Being able to spend the evening talking with them was an amazing blessing. They are an interesting, wise, and godly couple. Also they have great taste in food. We ordered several delicious dishes but the best was “inside out fish” in some mango sauce or something. It was delicious.

When we arrived at their house that night the power was out due to the electricity rationing. I met their two kids who still live at home and also was introduced to their shower which I was very thankful for. Then I fell asleep and when the power came on at midnight I cranked up the fan they had given me and slept in a cool breeze.

In Which I Say Farewell To My Toenails

October 15^th-17^th: Thursday-Saturday

Thursday during school Patrick trimmed on of the trees there. I say trimmed because that is the word he used but what he actually did was cut off every branch with leaves on it. During break time all the kids were to be found underneath the tree bouncing up and down on the branches and chasing each other with sticks performing Jackie Chan moves. It was hilarious.

By Friday my toes seemed to stop collecting puss and had stopped hurting. That night I was looking at them and realized they were really loose. So I grabbed on to them and just peeled them off. It was fascinatingly disgusting. I have packaged them and am sending them to parties unknown as revenge for past grievances against me. Just kidding. Maybe. Watch out.

My dad brought my Zune over but it seemed to have some mechanical difficulties so he had to take it back in order to fix it. Thankfully my little brother Pete has burned me a couple cds so I have been listening to all this week.

I bought my bus ticket for Dar Es Salaam on Saturday. I leave Monday at 7:15. due to my knowledge of African time hopefully we will be on the road by 8:00. It will take about 8 hours to get form Moshi to Dar so I will just spend the night in Dar to save money. I plan to stay with an old friend of Al Tricarico. Then on Tuesday I will take the ferry to Zanzibar. If everything works out I will be able to go on a spice tour that afternoon. I plan to spend the night in Zanzibar and then on Wednesday explore Stone Town and with any luck go snorkeling. I will take the night ferry back to Dar. As I understand the night ferry takes about 6 hours to traverse the distance between Zanzibar and Dar. However it is not allowed to dock tell after 5:30 so I will most likely have some time in Dar before I can catch a bus back to Moshi.